Gazing across the Oakland University campus, several new construction projects are noticeably beginning to take shape.

The Elliott Carillon Tower is no exception, as the main structural portions near completion.

The tower rises above several of OU’s existing buildings, including The Oakland Center and O’Dowd Hall, making it difficult to miss upon entering the main campus entrance.

“It is on schedule and on budget, it’s scheduled for completion by fall 2014,” said OU spokesman Dave Groves.

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The structure was completed in this past week by the Barton Malow Company, the construction manager of the site.

The groundbreaking of the tower was this past April.

Since the completion of the structure, something has been added to the top of it, as part of tradition.

“They attach a tree to the top of the structure, if you were to wander by today you would see an American flag and a tree at the top of the structure,” Groves said.

Inside the 151-foot tower will be a 49-bells carillon. It will serve as the “centerpiece” for the campus.

The bells will make a unique sound, according to spokeswoman from the Verdin Company, an Ohio-based company that will be making the carillon.

The carillon will weigh 15 tons total. It will range from a low C, which is 5,000 pounds, to a high C, which is 24 pounds.

It will have the ability to play any musical composition.

OU received the tower as a gift from Hugh and Nancy Elliott, who also have their name on another building on campus ­­— Elliott Hall.

The couple gave $6.5 million to construct the tower, as well as a cash charitable contribution equal to 10 percent of the total design and construction costs to establish an endowment for operations, maintenance and technology, according to BOT documents.

This tower will be one of the tallest carillon towers on a college campus in the U.S. It was designed by Niagara Murano Architects of Birmingham.

Though the tower stands high, it will actually be higher, since a pyramid-like piece will be added to the top.

“The structure is not as high (now) as it will be,” Groves said. “There’s about 29 feet that will be added to it.”

The area surrounding the tower will have a water fountain, garden and landscaping.